Going Crazy
by smilelaughread
Summary: Susan thinks she's going crazy, and it's all Auror Tonks' fault. Written for Lady's Writing School, entry for Pairings, Susan/Tonks.


_Susan/Tonks - W__ritten as an entry for the category "Pairings" for Lady's Writing School at HPFC._

"Oh, hullo – Susan, is it?" Greeted a green-haired woman who had the biggest grin Susan had ever seen stretching her lips.

The smile gave her an instant good impression, and she smiled. "Yes, I'm waiting for my aunt, Amelia Bones – er, you may know her as Madam Bones." Susan took in the woman's Auror robes.

The woman's eyes widened. "Your aunt is my boss?" She questioned. "How interesting."

Susan grinned. "Very."

"May I sit? It's my lunch hour, and I've no one to spend my time with. May as well be you, right?"

Susan shrugged. "Merlin knows Auntie will take forever before she can come out, though she promised she'd take me out for lunch. It comes with being a department Head, I suppose." She stopped rambling. "Of course you may sit."

The woman giggled, and extended a hand. "I'm Tonks," she said, introducing herself.

Susan ran through the options in her head. Why did the name seem so familiar to her? "Oh!" She exclaimed. "You and Harry know each other, yeah?"

Tonks nodded, "You could say that," she said. "I presume you're in Hogwarts with Harry, to know him."

"Yes," Susan said, watching as the strange woman's hair changed from green to a bright yellow.

"Hufflepuff?" The two of them asked the other at the same time.

Tonks laughed a little. "Best house at Hogwarts, but don't tell McGonagall I said that, 'kay?"

"Hufflepuffs have the most fun," Susan admitted, Tonks' good mood affecting her greatly. "A survey was done a few months back… it was reported in the _Prophet._ Did you know?"

"I'll second that!" Tonks said. "I just didn't know it had been officially researched."

"Motion passed," Susan joked, shaking her head in mirth.

"What year are you in?" Tonks asked, looking her over with a critical eye. All of a sudden, for no real reason, Susan felt a shiver run up her spine and a blush want to settle high on her cheeks.

"I'll be in sixth after this summer," answered Susan easily, not quite sure why she felt so nervous.

"I remember sixth year," Tonks said, seeming not to notice, a nostalgic tone in her voice. "It was brilliant! Fifth and seventh were both incredibly stressful, what with OWLs and NEWTs, but sixth? Oh Merlin — it was great!"

Susan shrugged. "I don't reckon mine will be quite so nice with _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_ right around the corner. Besides, you can't be all that old. You don't look much older than, say, twenty. Hardly the appropriate age at which to reminisce," she said.

"Hush," Tonks instructed. "Stop worrying and channel your inner airhead. You're Hufflepuff, remember?"

At that, Susan had to laugh, throwing her head back as the waves of laughter pushed out of her.

"And thank you for the compliment. I really do try and maintain my youthful look." Tonks said, changing her features to match her words. Susan remembered hearing about the Metamorphagus and her powers, and didn't question the change.

In fact, they both snickered, and Tonks unwrapped a sandwich to take a bite, face changing back to normal. _That's better_.

Some time passed, at least enough for Tonks to eat her lunch in between fits of giggles. Between stories about Hufflepuff house and the critique of one of the only books Susan had read and disliked - as Tonks had, too, she found - Susan wasn't sure where she'd found the time to eat. Finally, after a good thirty minutes of laugh-filled companionship, the silence of the corridor was broken by someone else. The clacking of heels down the corridor brought both of them back to real life, and they ceased the giggling in favour of looking up at the menacing figure that was Susan's aunt.

"Er, Wotcher, Madam Bones," Tonks said, cringing as the sentence she'd uttered filtered back through her head.

Susan had to bite down on her tongue to keep laughter from bubbling up again.

Her aunt simply nodded at Tonks, and then turned to Susan. "We must go, Susan. I have to be back in a few minutes to go over some new Auror protocol paperwork… We must hurry."

Susan fell into step directly behind her aunt after she stood up, looking over her shoulder to roll her eyes at Tonks, who seemed to fall into heaps of silent giggles.

"Always like that?" Tonks mouthed, nodding at Amelia before she turned a cornet and disappeared from Tonks' view.

Susan only had to nod once before Tonks broke down again, burying her head in her hands so that only the colourful, ever-changing hair on her head was visible. Then, Susan turned the corner, too, and the interesting woman disappeared from view.

...

Disappeared from view, but not from her mind.

Some days later, Susan found herself waiting for her aunt once again. Like the first time, only a few minutes passed before Tonks appeared in the corridor, making a beeline for Susan.

"Wotcher," she said, nodding at Susan. Susan didn't need any more instruction to know she was to move over and make space for Tonks.

Susan glanced up at the clock on the wall, watching the second hand tick away. "Say, Tonks," she began. "When _is _your lunch break?"

"Now," Tonks answered quickly.

"But you had lunch three hours ago on Monday, didn't you? It's much later now. Are you skipping work?"

"If I tell you, will you snitch to your aunt?" Tonks asked teasingly, though she looked vaguely worried.

"Nah," Susan said quickly, eager to have Tonks' trust for some unnamed, unknown reason. She supposed she'd been right about Tonks slacking off at work, but didn't press it.

"I sincerely hope you're not keeping anything from me, Auror Tonks," came the sharp tones of Amelia Bones, who looked severe in her grey robes.

Tonks shot up from her seated position faster than Susan had thought possible, pasting on a cheesy smile. "Of course not, Madam. I'll be off now, to file some paperwork that's piled up. Er, goodbye Madam Bones. Bye, Susan!"

Susan watched Tonks' retreat, shaking her head._ Crazy people_, she thought, _are very entertaining._

...

But still, her free time was dedicated to thinking about Tonks. For whatever reason, the image of the woman refused to be erased from her brain. There was something about her that she found... Intriguing? Interesting? Attractive?

The thoughts were buried quickly, and Susan tried not to remember her train of thought. It didn't stop the increasingly, er, interesting dreams from making their way through her head, however.

The two of them met up many times a week, almost daily, and Susan began to feel more attached to Tonks than she'd ever felt before. Something inside of her wanted to pay attention to every little mannerism, no matter how small. She noticed the tapping of Tonks' toes as she ate, and the way her nose crinkled when she laughed.

_I'm going crazy, _she thought. Still, though, she continued to go and meet with Tonks, enjoying every second of the time they spent together.

...

Susan sat on the bench, tugging at her collar.

"Why're you dressed up?" Tonks asked, one eye travelling up and then down her body once.

Susan ran a hand down her fanciest robes, blushing. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you see, people don't normally come to the ministry looking as dressed up and delectable as you do right now,"

"Excuse me?" Susan didn't think she'd heard correctly. There was no way Tonks could have said-.

A blush stained the Auror's pretty cheeks, but it was light and delicate. Susan felt her stomach swoop, but tried to reign herself in. It wouldn't do to make a fool of herself.

Tonks took a seat next to Susan, taking a sandwich out of some concealed pocket, like always. She began unwrapping it, looking nonchalant, all traces of embarrassment carefully hidden. Susan could see the little smile tugging at the older woman's lips, and thought, again, that she was going crazy. Maybe she was imagining everything that had happened. Maybe she was misinterpreting everything. _Maybe, _she thought, _she's doing it all to get a raise._

But something inside of her cried out that Tonks wouldn't do such a thing, that she would never hurt Susan like that.

There was the sound of munching. It sounded almost thoughtful, the slow bites drawing Susan's eyes over to Tonks' working jaw.

Tonks froze, and looked cooly to the side. "Susan," she said after a moment or two. "You're staring."

"I know," breathed Susan, unsure. "You're staring back."

"I'm _old_, Susan."

"You're a Hufflepuff; we're young at heart."

"I work for your aunt."

"She doesn't need to know anything. There's nothing for her to know, anyway." The conversation was just vague enough that Susan could almost convince herself they were speaking of two different things. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to start speaking, anyway. Something about Tonks made her go crazy. It was undeniable. There was no 'being clearheaded' around Tonks, at least not for Susan.

"There could be. That is, if you wanted it, too."

Susan gave her a strange look. "Who says I don't?"

"Do you?"

Susan shrugged, "Do you?"

"Well, we are both Hufflepuffs."

"_Smart_ Hufflepuffs," Susan added.

"We're Hufflepuffs who can handle having this conversation," Tonks joked, a warm smile making dimples that should not have been that interesting to Susan. They were, anyway.

"Very true,"

Tonks leaned in closer, as though to whisper something to Susan. "I thought you would think I was – I dunno, creepy," she breathed, hot air escaping her lips and rushing past Susan's cheeks, which blushed red at the contact. The proximity of their faces had set her on fire, and the sensation was so intense that she imagined spending forever in the position, trying to get her fill of Tonks-up-close. "You are only sixteen, after all. I'm a lot older." A crease set in between Tonks' eyebrows.

"It's not that strange." Susan said. "I should think it's you who wouldn't want to… y'know, since I'm so young and haven't any idea about anything. Besides, like I've said before, you're not that much older."

Tonks laughed, sending more heat along Susan's body. "You have no idea how you hold yourself, Susan. It's all regal elegance and unparalleled coordination. If we compared shadows, so that facial features and the like weren't visible, you'd appear older by the way you walk. The way you interact. The way you speak. It's brilliant. I think you may very well be the most intelligent student out of Hufflepuff."

Susan wanted to laugh, but worried it would ruin the moment. Some apprehension ran through her; what if Tonks was pulling her leg, or changed her mind in a few moments? She didn't want that, not at all, surprising even herself with the desperation she felt at the thoughts.

"Funny," Susan said, tilting her head to look into Tonks' eyes better. "I think that title may be held by you, actually."

Tonks snorted, and Susan grinned, happy to have evoked such a reaction.

"So- We're okay?" Susan asked, breathless for no reason. It had to have something to do with the look in Tonks' eyes, that anticipation, the adventure promised.

"We're brilliant," Tonks answered. She leaned her head in, seeming hesitant and not entirely sure of herself (_I'm sure that's a first, _Susan thought seriously). Just when the brush of lips seemed to be within reach and Susan could feel herself yearning for the contact, the sound of heels clicking against the floor sounded out.

"Oh damn," Susan said, jumping back. She was immediately caught by a fiery gaze from her aunt, who looked practically murderous. That was almost hilarious to see on the Head of the DMLE, who was supposed to enforce the law - which, funnily enough, did not include homicide.

And then the look was shifted over to Tonks, who had been trying to escape by changing her hair colour to that of the wall, and transforming her features to nondescript ones. She'd been trying to camouflage and get out unscathed, but it hadn't worked. Susan wondered how good an idea that had been on Tonks' part, given that Susan's aunt was her boss.

After being caught, Tonks sat back down, looking slightly guilty.

Then, in a way that was hardly noticeable, Tonks scooted closer to Susan, leaning in – seemingly unconsciously. Susan grinned inwardly. Her aunt looked between them, apparently stuck between yelling at them and being struck utterly and completely speechless. Susan hoped it would stay that way.

And it did, at least for a second or so. Not long enough.

"Wha-I don't… Susan! Explain this." Her aunt suddenly said, arms flailing in ways they'd never done before. If she weren't so terrified for her life, Susan would have laughed out loud at the idea that she'd flustered her aunt to such a degree for the first time in years. Ever, maybe.

"See," Susan began, careful not to meet Tonks eyes, lest the small action set off her aunt. "It's a new development, I think."

"Is this the first advance Auror Tonks has made on you?" The tone was stiff, and Susan cocked her head.

"I rather think it was mutual, not her coming on to me or the other way around," she said. "We're both Hufflepuffs," she finished, as though that would clear anything up.

A few moments of silence passed. "Hmm," her aunt said. She then turned back towards Tonks. "I'm watching you, Auror Tonks. If you step so much as one toe out of line, I'll throw you out of here on your ear, and we'll see what happens from there. Maybe a loose brick will happen to come tumbling down as you step out, too..."

Susan's mouth dropped open as the threat passed her aunt's lips, and Tonks seemed equally as shocked.

"I guess we have your blessing then," Tonks said in a voice much more jovial than anything Susan could have come up with, after a few seconds had passed. "Great. I'll take the day off, then, if you please. I was just making some plans…"

"Very well." She didn't sound happy, but had to accept Tonks' request, as was the policy, as long as it followed some guidelines, blah, blah. "Susan, I'll see you for supper," the statement was accompanied by a sharp glare that told Susan she'd _better_ be home for supper, _or else_.

Then Tonks was dragging her out of the corridor, turning the corner, pushing open doors, and they were outside.

"What's this I hear about plans?" Susan asked. "I thought you had work. Auror work. Important work."

Tonks faux-pouted. "So you mean to tell me you like me because I'm important and powerful? Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about that."

They laughed, standing close to one another as they moved down the street.

"Where shall we go?" Tonks asked, acting younger than Susan, what with the eager bounce in her step and the way she was tugging on Susan's sleeve, urging her to hurry.

"You mean –" Susan said, "Like a date?"

Tonks shrugged. "Sure. Let's go out."

Susan's heart pounded at the words, unable to believe them. "I-I… Yes."

They shared a look, and Susan felt her heart do a little flip. Was this a figment of her imagination, because she was certain things like what had just occurred didn't just... _happen_ in real life.

"Trust me?" Tonks asked, placing a hand on Susan's arm, reassuring the younger woman that Tonks was, indeed, real.

"I do. Is that a bad idea?" She joked.

"Not at all. I'll apparate us somewhere." She removed her hand and then extended her arm to Susan, who took it eagerly. And then, with a 'pop', they disappeared from view and began their very first date, unless one counted the meetings for lunch at the Ministry.

Susan hoped there would be very many, many, many more, after enjoying herself immensely and returning home for supper with a giddy smile on her lips.


End file.
